Literacy is a complex skill that goes far beyond the basic reading and writing, and it is a skill that I feel your child must succeed at in order to be successful in school and beyond graduation. According to the Education Development Center, “Literacy is refers to a person’s ability to apply those skills so that they play a role in shaping their own life and transform it completely.” European Commissions goes further to say that “Literacy plays a role enabling self-confidence and motivating further development.” Literacy takes place when a work of literature is read, comprehended, the newly acquired knowledge then applied in every day life. This skill does not come naturally for all students, yet it is one that is plays a critical role in all subject areas. You may or not be aware of whether or not your child is struggling with his or her literacy skills. However, if they are struggling, there are out-of-school programs in place to help students struggling with literacy. Moje and Tysvaer explain that “There are four types of literacy initiatives that serve adolescents outside of the classroom: Literacy and academic development programs, literacy enhancement programs, academic enhancement programs, and social development programs.” I believe literacy is important for many different reasons. The National Adult Literacy Center enforces the importance of literacy, stating that, “Literacy skills are critical not only for the personal achievement of individuals, but also for the social and economic development of each nation.” Literacy can result in greater self-confidence, success in the workplace, strengthen social skills, grounded beliefs, and improved logic skills. In the following paragraphs I will explain to you just how serious the lack of proficiency in literacy in America actually is, and how I plan to address this problem in my classroom. According to The Nation’s Report Card, 213,000 fourth-graders and 168,000 eighth-graders participated in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading. This assessment is performed in an attempt to measure comprehension skills. Students are given a grade-appropriate piece of literature and asked to answer questions according to what they read. Nationally, the test scores show a gradual improvement. From 1992 to 2011, the 4th grade national reading test scores rose from 217 to 221. The 8th grade reading scores rose from 260-265. State test scores were also given, and Georgia falls below the national test scores. The 4th grade, however, is making progress! Reading test scores rose from 1998 to 2002. They dropped back down from 2002-2005. The rose over the next two years, and then dropped again between 2007 and 2009. The good news is that between 2009 and 2011, Georgia’s 4th grade reading score rose, and exceeded the national test scores! This is very encouraging! It shows that teachers are beginning to take literacy more seriously and focus more on it in the classroom. Georgia’s 8th grade reading test scores were also provided in the test score summary. From 1998 to 2003, the 8th grade test scores rose microscopically. Unfortunately they dropped between 2003 and 2005. Over the next 6 years, up until 2011, the test scores steadily rose, remaining an average of two points below the national scores each year. These test scores may be disappointing, but there is hope. Although it is a very slow improvement, it is an improvement nonetheless. Countless strategies have been devised for improving literacy, and there is a great deal of research being done to understand why the test scores are so low. Research performed by The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that teachers who hold a masters degree have higher classroom test scores than their peers who only hold a bachelors. It is becoming more common for teachers to obtain their mater’s degree, which gives hope for improved test scores in the near future. The National Center For Education Statistics explains that from 1971 to 2008, reading scores rose slightly, from 255 to 260. Trends show that every time the data was examined, girls had higher reading scores than boys. White students have significantly higher reading scores than black students, however, black student reading scores rose from 222 to 247 from 1971 to 2008. Of the Northeastern, Midwestern, Southern, and Western regions, the Southern region’s reading scores rank in the lower half. The Northeastern and Midwestern regions have higher reading scores than we do in the South. However, all hope is not lost. There are many improvements that teachers can make in order to change these scores. I will have the same expectations for each one of my students. I will not expect more of girls because they like to write. I will not have higher standards for Caucasian students. All students will be expected to work hard and succeed in my classroom, and I will help them to believe in themselves this year as we work on improving their literacy. I will use these statistics as a tool to better understand my students, but I will not accept them as concrete facts, nor should you. Your son is just as capable of obtaining high test scores as your daughter, and we must help him believe that! One issue that teachers do not have control over is their classroom size. The National Center for Education Statistics states “Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools increased 16 percent between 1991 and 2004 and is projected to increase an additional 9 percent between 2004 and 2016. The pupil/teacher ratio in public elementary and secondary schools decreased from 17.3 to 15.8 between 1991 and 2004, and is projected to decrease to 14.6 in 2016.” What does this mean? Schools are continuously growing, and the classroom size is as well. Teachers are being outnumbered, and one-on-one time with the students is imperative. Regardless of the class size, strategies can be used to help students better understand their lessons and come out understanding how to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their every day life. One way of improving literacy skills is by incorporating literacy in all content areas. Often times, it is assumed that literacy is only practiced in reading and language arts class. This is why students are not mastering the skill. Elizabeth Moje makes a great point, stating that “In particular, studies of pre and in-service teachers’ perceptions and attitudes about using literacy strategies to teach content indicated a resistance on the part of teachers to acknowledging that literacy played any part in their content area practice, accompanied by a resistance to using the strategies.” I, however, am not one of those teachers. I embrace new literacy strategies and apply them in all content areas, and believe it is possible to improve the state of literacy in the United States. A few of the strategies that I will be using in my classroom are:
• Read-Alouds
• K-W-L Charts
• Graphic Organizers
• Vocabulary Instruction
• Writing to Learn
• Structured Note-taking
• Reciprocal Teaching
I believe that by incorporating these strategies in my daily lessons, students will gradually begin putting more thought into what they are reading, and they will better understand the material they are reading. This is how literacy skills are improved! The following standard will be the first one that we will be learning this year in my classroom: “MCC7.SP.6 Approximate the probability of a chance event by collecting data on the chance process that produces it and observing its long-run relative frequency, and predict the approximate relative frequency given the probability.” Although this is a math standard, I want you, as parents, to know that I will be doing everything in my power to incorporate literacy into each and every one of the lessons I teach. To do so for this standard, I have chosen six books which we will look at during this unit.
1.Holes by Louis Sachar
2.Sideway Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
3.Do You Wanna Bet?: Your Chance to Find Out About Probability by Jean Cushman
4.The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt
5.The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
6.The Haunted School by R. L. Stine
I believe that each one of these books can serve as a significant tool is improving your child’s literacy schools, without them realizing that is the goal. I feel confident that by the end of the school year, your student’s literacy skills will have improved drastically, and it will be evident in their daily life. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like clarification on anything I have stated in this letter. I look forward to teaching your child this school year, and I am very hopeful that it will be an amazing year of growth!
Moje, E. (1996). I Teach Students, Not Subjects": Teacher-Student Relationships as Contexts for Secondary Literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 31(2), 172. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from the Jstor database.
Literacy is a complex skill that goes far beyond the basic reading and writing, and it is a skill that I feel your child must succeed at in order to be successful in school and beyond graduation. According to the Education Development Center, “Literacy is refers to a person’s ability to apply those skills so that they play a role in shaping their own life and transform it completely.” European Commissions goes further to say that “Literacy plays a role enabling self-confidence and motivating further development.” Literacy takes place when a work of literature is read, comprehended, the newly acquired knowledge then applied in every day life. This skill does not come naturally for all students, yet it is one that is plays a critical role in all subject areas. You may or not be aware of whether or not your child is struggling with his or her literacy skills. However, if they are struggling, there are out-of-school programs in place to help students struggling with literacy. Moje and Tysvaer explain that “There are four types of literacy initiatives that serve adolescents outside of the classroom: Literacy and academic development programs, literacy enhancement programs, academic enhancement programs, and social development programs.”
I believe literacy is important for many different reasons. The National Adult Literacy Center enforces the importance of literacy, stating that, “Literacy skills are critical not only for the personal achievement of individuals, but also for the social and economic development of each nation.” Literacy can result in greater self-confidence, success in the workplace, strengthen social skills, grounded beliefs, and improved logic skills. In the following paragraphs I will explain to you just how serious the lack of proficiency in literacy in America actually is, and how I plan to address this problem in my classroom.
According to The Nation’s Report Card, 213,000 fourth-graders and 168,000 eighth-graders participated in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading. This assessment is performed in an attempt to measure comprehension skills. Students are given a grade-appropriate piece of literature and asked to answer questions according to what they read.
Nationally, the test scores show a gradual improvement. From 1992 to 2011, the 4th grade national reading test scores rose from 217 to 221. The 8th grade reading scores rose from 260-265. State test scores were also given, and Georgia falls below the national test scores. The 4th grade, however, is making progress! Reading test scores rose from 1998 to 2002. They dropped back down from 2002-2005. The rose over the next two years, and then dropped again between 2007 and 2009. The good news is that between 2009 and 2011, Georgia’s 4th grade reading score rose, and exceeded the national test scores! This is very encouraging! It shows that teachers are beginning to take literacy more seriously and focus more on it in the classroom.
Georgia’s 8th grade reading test scores were also provided in the test score summary. From 1998 to 2003, the 8th grade test scores rose microscopically. Unfortunately they dropped between 2003 and 2005. Over the next 6 years, up until 2011, the test scores steadily rose, remaining an average of two points below the national scores each year.
These test scores may be disappointing, but there is hope. Although it is a very slow improvement, it is an improvement nonetheless. Countless strategies have been devised for improving literacy, and there is a great deal of research being done to understand why the test scores are so low. Research performed by The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that teachers who hold a masters degree have higher classroom test scores than their peers who only hold a bachelors. It is becoming more common for teachers to obtain their mater’s degree, which gives hope for improved test scores in the near future. The National Center For Education Statistics explains that from 1971 to 2008, reading scores rose slightly, from 255 to 260. Trends show that every time the data was examined, girls had higher reading scores than boys. White students have significantly higher reading scores than black students, however, black student reading scores rose from 222 to 247 from 1971 to 2008. Of the Northeastern, Midwestern, Southern, and Western regions, the Southern region’s reading scores rank in the lower half. The Northeastern and Midwestern regions have higher reading scores than we do in the South. However, all hope is not lost. There are many improvements that teachers can make in order to change these scores. I will have the same expectations for each one of my students. I will not expect more of girls because they like to write. I will not have higher standards for Caucasian students. All students will be expected to work hard and succeed in my classroom, and I will help them to believe in themselves this year as we work on improving their literacy. I will use these statistics as a tool to better understand my students, but I will not accept them as concrete facts, nor should you. Your son is just as capable of obtaining high test scores as your daughter, and we must help him believe that!
One issue that teachers do not have control over is their classroom size. The National Center for Education Statistics states “Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools increased 16 percent between 1991 and 2004 and is projected to increase an additional 9 percent between 2004 and 2016. The pupil/teacher ratio in public elementary and secondary schools decreased from 17.3 to 15.8 between 1991 and 2004, and is projected to decrease to 14.6 in 2016.” What does this mean? Schools are continuously growing, and the classroom size is as well. Teachers are being outnumbered, and one-on-one time with the students is imperative. Regardless of the class size, strategies can be used to help students better understand their lessons and come out understanding how to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their every day life. One way of improving literacy skills is by incorporating literacy in all content areas. Often times, it is assumed that literacy is only practiced in reading and language arts class. This is why students are not mastering the skill. Elizabeth Moje makes a great point, stating that “In particular, studies of pre and in-service teachers’ perceptions and attitudes about using literacy strategies to teach content indicated a resistance on the part of teachers to acknowledging that literacy played any part in their content area practice, accompanied by a resistance to using the strategies.” I, however, am not one of those teachers. I embrace new literacy strategies and apply them in all content areas, and believe it is possible to improve the state of literacy in the United States.
A few of the strategies that I will be using in my classroom are:
- • Read-Alouds
- • K-W-L Charts
- • Graphic Organizers
- • Vocabulary Instruction
- • Writing to Learn
- • Structured Note-taking
- • Reciprocal Teaching
I believe that by incorporating these strategies in my daily lessons, students will gradually begin putting more thought into what they are reading, and they will better understand the material they are reading. This is how literacy skills are improved!The following standard will be the first one that we will be learning this year in my classroom:
“MCC7.SP.6 Approximate the probability of a chance event by collecting data on the chance process that produces it and observing its long-run relative frequency, and predict the approximate relative frequency given the probability.”
Although this is a math standard, I want you, as parents, to know that I will be doing everything in my power to incorporate literacy into each and every one of the lessons I teach. To do so for this standard, I have chosen six books which we will look at during this unit.
- 1. Holes by Louis Sachar
- 2. Sideway Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
- 3. Do You Wanna Bet?: Your Chance to Find Out About Probability by Jean Cushman
- 4. The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt
- 5. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
- 6. The Haunted School by R. L. Stine
I believe that each one of these books can serve as a significant tool is improving your child’s literacy schools, without them realizing that is the goal. I feel confident that by the end of the school year, your student’s literacy skills will have improved drastically, and it will be evident in their daily life.Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like clarification on anything I have stated in this letter. I look forward to teaching your child this school year, and I am very hopeful that it will be an amazing year of growth!
Emily du Plooy
References
Education Development Center. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.edc.org/newsroom/articles/what_literacy
European Commission of Education and Training. (n.d.).What is literacy?. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/education/literacy/about/what-is-it/index_en.htm
Moje, E. & Tysvaer, N. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.adlit.org/article/34600/
National Adult Literacy Center. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.ets.org/literacy/research/what/
National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d11/tables/dt11_125.asp
National Center For Education Statistics. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/projections2016/sec5a.asp
The Nation’s Report Card. (n.d) Retrieved from http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2011
Moje, E. (1996). I Teach Students, Not Subjects": Teacher-Student Relationships as Contexts for Secondary Literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 31(2), 172. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from the Jstor database.